A DERELICT pub in Oxford could be redeveloped to make way for new homes.

The Crown & Thistle in Old Road, Headington, took its last orders on New Year’s Eve in 2011, when former owner Greene King didn’t renew the pub’s licence after deeming the business “unviable”.

On Thursday (September 22), Oxford City Council, the planning authority, is to consider plans to build between seven and nine homes on the site.

The proposal, which was recommended for approval, originally included the demolition of the pub but the application was amended to retain the building after it was added to the Oxford Heritage Asset Register, meaning it is now locally listed.

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The pub has been derelict since it closed almost 11 years ago. A council report outlined how the building has fallen into disrepair, saying: “The applicant has, since purchasing the property, not found an operator for the site nor operated the site as a pub themselves and have let the property deteriorate to the point that significant repairs and refurbishment would be needed to bring the building back into use as a pub.

The building dates back to the 1800s, but before that, the site at the corner of Old Road and Titup Hall Drive was home to a coaching inn for about 200 years.

Called Titup Hall, the inn was on the only route from Oxford to London and was the departure point for the first coach to reach the capital in a day from the city in 1669.

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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers. 

Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi